DRYDEN — Dryden's mayor used this week's Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference to make a case for help from the province when it comes to the city's police costs.
Mayor Jack Harrison met with Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner this week, asking for relief from high-paying unsustainable police costs.
“We don’t have the ability with our tax base structure to upgrade or continue to invest in our infrastructure in appropriate ways, so that’s why we’ve reached out to Minister Kerzner to consider giving us a rebate over the next three years. We are asking for 35 per cent,” Harrison said.
The municipalities of Sioux Lookout, Kenora and Pickle Lake formed a coalition last year to discuss reducing policing costs in their areas. The per property for police service is $832 in Kenora, $934 in Sioux Lookout, and $950 in Pickle Lake.
That rate in Dryden was under $1,200 in 2022, rising to an estimated cost of $1,393 per property in 2023.
“What’s important is follow-up. So, we do have a follow-up meeting the following week to start to discuss the appropriateness of our ask and also under the police services act how we could receive some of those benefits,” Harrison said.
Harrison left the delegation pleased by the response from Kerzner, who said that the province is open to dialogue about police costing.
“Really, what our ask was that we need a break so we can start to invest in some of our aging infrastructure and make our community sustainable,” Harrison said.
